Authorities sank 51 foreign fishing boats caught operating illegally in the Indonesian waters as it resumed its tough stance against poaching in the country. Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said in a speech that the illegal boats were a threat to the local fishing industry. Indonesian government says it has sunk more than 500 illegal fishing vessels since October 2014, many with explosives. Last year, the ministry sunk 125 mostly foreign vessels, included 86 Vietnamese-flagged ships, 20 Malaysian and 14 from the Philippines. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, claims a huge exclusive economic zone, which is frequently penetrated by foreign fishing vessels.

Source: Washington Post May 04, 2019 12:44 UTC